The difference between a government-issued IDP, a private translation, and a local permit — and which one your trip needs.
There are three different things travellers tend to lump together, and mixing them up is what leads to an argument at a rental desk.
The government-issued IDP
A genuine International Driving Permit is issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna Convention. In most countries only one or two authorised organisations may issue one, and they can only issue it to holders of a licence from that same country. It is a booklet that restates your licence in a fixed set of languages.
If your destination specifically requires an IDP, this is the thing it requires, and you obtain it from the authorised issuer where your licence was issued.
A private translation
What we sell is a private translation: a certified rendering of your licence details into multiple languages, in a familiar layout. It is not issued under either convention and no government stands behind it. It can smooth a conversation with someone who cannot read your licence — and that is genuinely useful — but it grants no driving rights of its own.
Anyone telling you a private translation is the same as an IDP is either confused or selling you something under false pretences.
A local permit or licence conversion
Some countries ignore both of the above and require visitors to obtain a local permit, or to convert their licence outright after a period of residence. Japan and mainland China are the usual examples. No translation, ours or anyone else’s, substitutes for that process.
How to work out which you need
Before you book a car, check in this order:
- The embassy or road authority site for your destination
- Your rental company’s terms — they are often stricter than the law
- Your insurer, if you are driving your own vehicle abroad
